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Star Wars 7 to shoot on the Skelligs in Kerry

Forget Ryan's Daughter, Far and Away and The Field - Star Wars Episode 7 will shoot scenes on spectacular Skellig Michael in Kerry.

This is not a Jedi mindtrick - The Kingdom has pulled off its biggest film coup yet and will join other less exotic locations such as Abu Dhabi and the Mývatn and Krafla volcano in Iceland as a filming location for the new instalment of the space opera which is due out next year.

Local newspaper Kerry's Eye reports that The Office of Public Works has confirmed that, “Skellig Michael is being made available for a film production shoot on the island . . . this production is being fully supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Irish Film Board”

The OPW says that a sixth century monastic site is being made available for a film shoot. In 1996 Skellig Michael was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List.

According to some reports, the island will be closed to visitors for three days at the end of August to facilitate filming with local boatman in Portmagee having reached an agreement to ferry equipment and crew across to the island.

Earlier this week, director JJ Abrams teased Star Wars fans (ie everybody) with a video of an X-Wing on the set of the new movie. Check out the clip here.